Despite assistance, businesses affected by derailment still struggle

The Union Pacific predicts it will not rebuild the bridge until early 2014

January 29, 2013|By Alexandra Chachkevitch, Tribune Reporter

The Union Pacific bridge over Shermer Road south of the Willow Road collapsed on July 4 as the result of a fatal train derailment, isolating some businesses in the area. The road is still closed seven months after the accident. (Alexandra Chachkevitch, Chicago Tribune)

McGovern's Public House was more than ready for its grand opening on July 6.

The venue had been remodeled, including a shiny new bar from Ireland. Owner Declan Morgan predicted hundreds of customers would flock to the only Irish pub in Glenview.

But the train derailment that killed a Glenview couple two days before the opening destroyed Morgan's plan, and tainted the celebration day.

"It's something we'll never recover from," he said. The bar has never had a proper grand opening.

The accident destroyed the Union Pacific bridge over Shermer Road near the Glenview-Northbrook border, killing the couple and blocking the south entrance for businesses that are located on the north side of the bridge.

Although the Village of Glenview has assisted the isolated businesses with rent payments since September, the Mobil gas station, McGovern's and tenants of the Wil-Sher Shopping Center are still barely holding up seven months after the derailment.

"We're all just trying to survive at this point," Morgan said.

Cut off from a big chunk of their customer base, most of the establishments lost between 40 percent and 60 percent of their monthly business. The Mobil gas station reported between 15 percent and 20 percent loss of business. Morgan, who owns nine bars around the Chicago area, said he expected the bar to bring about twice as much money than what it's generating right now.

The village has constructed a temporary link between Shermer Road and Patriot Boulevard at Old Willow Road to help with traffic and has allocated $405,000 to the businesses last year to help with rental subsidies. Up to $45,000 out of the total aid was to go toward signage and advertising.

The assistance with rent kicked off in September, but the sign still hasn't been erected.

"The landlord is working on it with the village staff's assistance," said Ellen Dean, economic development manager with the village, adding that the sign should be done within the next few months.

Dean said that Union Pacific, which is in litigation with the family of the deceased couple, predicts it will not rebuild the bridge until early 2014 — or September of that year at the latest. That's because of the time it's taking to come up with an improved design and acquire the materials needed for it.

After the crash, the railroad company quickly laid down temporary tracks and kept its trains moving.

"Once we get some advertising actively going, our hope is that those efforts will help these struggling business make it through." Dean said. "We want people to find them."

But it's not clear if the business can overcome the financial hurdles they face.

Morgan, who invested about $350,000 into remodeling of McGovern's, said he's paying a few thousand dollars out of his own pocket every week to cover McGovern's bills.

Even though the village and the landlord have been helpful and understanding, Morgan said, the bar still struggles.

"I'm getting more in debt for it, and some partners told me to walk away long time ago," Morgan said.

But he does not want to give up just yet, he said.

He scheduled a second grand opening for the bar on St. Patrick's Day, hoping it will bring attention of the locals.

If the upcoming advertising sings and promotion don't help, Morgan said then he would have to close the bar eventually.

Jashwant Patel, the owner of a Subway shop that was also affected hurt by the blocked off road, said the village's money does help keep the business afloat. Barely.

"We're really struggling with the bills," he said. "There is no money left for anything."

Patel is looking forward to the meeting with the village staff on Jan. 31 to discuss advertising plans and the sign.

But Patel, who has owned the Subway shop for a couple of years, said he is especially angered because he and other owners are being unfairly hit financially for something they weren't responsible for.

Union Pacific "doesn't care about us," he said, adding that the company hasn't helped out the struggling businesses. "It's as simple as that."

Patel pointed out that the Union Pacific train has derailed in the same place in 2009, only then the bridge did not collapse.

He said the mall strip's lawyers are working on some sort of litigation against the railroad company, but there aren't many details at this point.

In the past seven months, Patel had to lay off three of his employees. Now there are only four workers left.

"It's painful to think about it," he said. "When you have people working for so many years, you develop a bond. I still feel like I let them and their families down."